A New Room
by Lightningandashes
Summary: Rapunzel has trouble getting to sleep in her new home her first night at the castle and Eugene's banging at the window certainly isn't helping. Set after the end of the movie. Oneshot


This place wasn't home.

The bed certainly wasn't anything like she had ever had in the tower. It was wonderfully soft and gave with her every movement across it. When she'd inquired to the servant girl who was giving her the tour, she had told her it was a down comforter, quite a fine thing to sleep under. Rapunzel had no idea what that meant, so she'd cocked her head and simply commented on the fact that everyone had such strange things here in the kingdom.

The servant smiled placatingly and bent over to fluff her pillows. "Not everyone, miss," she had replied. Then she left with a curtsy and Rapunzel was left to ponder over the strangeness of the room on her own.

In a way, it did remind her of her tower. The swooping ceiling and arched windows much mirrored her old bedroom. Yet, the feel was entirely different. Whereas Rapunzel's old room had been cluttered with mementos of her various skills and activities, painted from floor to ceiling in bright colors, this room was a dull beige with white trimmings. Her bed was still in the same style, but the draping around it was burgundy. In a word, it was normal. Nothing to show that anyone had ever done _anything_ in this room, much less lived here. Rapunzel supposed this was probably likely, considering the sheer size of the castle. Who would ever need all this room? Sure, it'd give her plenty of space to paint; her and Eugene's adventures would probably only cover a single hall; but she was sure it would take her longer than eighteen years to fill this place up.

But that was a matter for other days. As much as she wanted to jump and run around, and decorate the room to her liking, the King and Queen- _Mother and Father_, she corrected herself- had said it was bed time. She wouldn't want to disappoint them on her very first night here.

It was hours later that she was sitting up in bed, contemplating how on earth she was supposed to find room on the bed to sleep with all these pillows around.

A sudden tapping on her window made Rapunzel jump into the air. She hastily glanced towards the balcony opening, expecting to see Pascal perched there, perhaps knocking angrily after having been locked outside. Poor Pascal But there was nothing there. Carefully Rapunzel tiptoed over to the window and pressed her nose up against the glass.

Out of nowhere there was a sudden BANG by her right ear and Rapunzel squeaked, falling over backwards. A rock? Why was someone throwing rocks at her window? A curious Pascal clambered down from his station atop a cushy pouf and scurried onto her leg, peering out into the night. Rapunzel watched as his eyes alighted on something and he made a little groaning noise, rolling his eyes and trotting back across the floor.

"Pascal," she said urgently, "What is it?"

Pascal turned back to her and jabbed his tail in the direction of the window.

"Something outside?"

He meeped in reply.

Understanding dawned on Rapunzel's face. "Eugene?"

Pascal nodded, but the movement was lost as Rapunzel leapt up, flinging open the doors and stepping onto the cool balcony.

"Eugene?" she whispered into the air, craning her neck and squinting in the dark. "Eugene where are you?"

"Here!" came the reply. Rapunzel turned and saw, just a balcony over, Eugene, clinging to the edge of the railing with what she had come to recognize as his daredevil look on.

"What are you doing?' she asked, hurrying over to the edge of her balcony to get a closer look.

"Sorry Blondie, but can we hold off on the questions until there's firm grou- er stone, under my feet again?" He wiggled closer to the wall and latched onto a ledge, beginning to inch his was over.

Rapunzel pressed her hands to her mouth and then reached behind her, ready to throw out a lasso of hair to save him, should he fall. Her fingers met with empty air and unintentionally said, "But my hair-"

"Little preoccupied at the moment!" cried Eugene swinging over another few feet. He yelped when his toes slipped off the edge, and Rapunzel started forward, but once he'd regained his foot he grinned smoothly back up at her. "See? Flynn Rider has it all under control." He jumped and caught onto her railing with the tips of his fingers. He struggled and propped his elbows up on the marble.

"Told you!" he gasped, wrapping an arm around one of the pillars. She knelt down next to him, letting Pascal run down her arm to peer in his face. The small chameleon seemed to be rather enjoying himself.

"Don't you dare put that tongue of yours anywhere near my ear," he warned Pascal. Pascal turned a slightly darker shade of green and guiltily sucked the tip of his tongue back into his mouth. Rapunzel gave him a stern look and placed him back on her shoulder

"Well then, I don't suppose the great Flynn Rider would need any help getting up onto this balcony, would he?" she said coyly, doodling on the ground with her finger.

Eugene panted and shifted himself further up on the edge. "Don't- be silly," he huffed. "Flynn Rider climbed across this entire castle. Three times over!" He made an effort to pull himself up, but only succeeded on slipping further over the edge.

Rapunzel blinked innocently at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, alright, I need your help!"

Rapunzel smiled sweetly and grabbed both of his hands, yanking upwards. Between the two of them, it was only a matter of seconds before Eugene's boots were set on the ledge and he had clambered over onto her side. He collapsed onto the ground, panting, "Don't look so smug Blondie, it's not like I haven't been saved by you before!"

"You didn't even look at me!' she said, "How do _you_ know I was looking smug?"

"I could tell it from the way you were breathing," he said sarcastically, pushing himself up onto his elbows.

"Really?" she asked eyes wide and wondering.

"No, no no," he placated her. "It was just a lucky guess." No good would come of her thinking he had magical powers.

Rapunzel shoved him. "Don't lie to me like that."

"I was joking," he exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder like it had hurt.

"How am I supposed to know that?"

Eugene frowned. "Well, you- you just do."

"But I don't," She looked even more confused than before.

"Give it time Blondie," he said.

She sighed, apparently bored with whatever nonsense about humour he was cooking up. "Sooo..." she ventured. " Why are you on my balcony?"

"Apparently I have a thing for climbing to balconies," he muttered.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing!" he replied. "I wanted to see how you were settling in."

"Not well," she pouted.

"Bed not big enough for you?" he joked, getting to his feet and helping her up.

"Not with me and all those pillows!" she said, throwing her arms up. "It's the room that's too big," she said quietly, walking inside and gesturing around her. Eugene followed her through the doors and carefully shut them behind him.

Rapunzel crossed her arms over her chest and shivered, glancing at all the empty space.

"Plenty of space to paint though," added Eugene.

Rapunzel nodded. Then, suddenly, she blurted, "I can't sleep in here, it's not my tower." She collapsed downward onto a sofa and laced her fingers together, keeping her eyes down.

Eugene gently got down on his knees so he was at her eye level and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You slept fine in the forest though," he said.

"Well yeah," she shrugged, still avoiding his gaze. "But in the forest you were there." She could feel her cheeks beginning to burn up, to admit that she'd needed him, even back then, to feel safe.

"Blondie," he said, tilting her chin up so she would meet his eyes. "I'm only three doors down-"

"You were three _feet_ away," she insisted. "And I know it's not a forest, full of dangerous creatures or thugs but still-"

"You don't want to be alone," he finished.

She shook her head.

"If it makes you feel any better," he started, "I find the nobles here to be just as creepy as thugs."

She laughed. "They are a little ridiculous."

"Especially the wigs!" He exclaimed, "I mean, have you seen how tall-"

Footsteps echoed outside the door and immediately Rapunzel pressed a hand to Eugene's mouth, cutting his words off. He looked in confusion at her and she nodded at the door, where they could see the shadow of a person through the crack. Three knocks rumbled through the wood. At Eugene's eyebrow raise she pulled her hand away, mouthed "Sorry!" and stood up, grabbing Eugene's hand and creeping over to the bed.

"Princess?" came the voice from the door.

"Just a minute!" she called. Turning back to Eugene she hissed, "Into the bed- Now!"

Well, Eugene certainly wasn't going to disobey an order like that. Without another thought he crawled under the covers and watched as Rapunzel heaped pillow after pillow on top of him.

"Princess!" the voice called more insistently.

"I'm... er... changing!" she called back, throwing the last blanket on top. Then, she skipped over to the door and yanked it open, to find the moustached Captain of the Guard standing there solemnly. He gave a swift bow.

"Princess," he said, straightening. "I _regret_ to inform you that the outlaw Flynn Rider has escaped from his quarters within the last hour or so-"

Eugene could feel his heart pick up pace. Alright, so the King seemed like he was ready to pardon him for stealing the crown in return for bringing back the lost princess, but getting caught in said princess's bed chamber would throw those plans _straight_ out the window.

"Escaped?" she asked. "I was not aware that Eugene leaving his room was of such great importance to the Kingdom.

"He's a wanted criminal Ma'am-"

Rapunzel cut him off. "He's not a criminal, he's my friend, and I thought my father, _the King_," she added for extra emphasis, "Told you that he was cleared." She put a hand on her hip. "You don't want to argue with the King, do you?"

"No but-"

"Goodnight, "she said, and slammed the door shut in his face. The captain of the guard stood there, dumbfounded, for a moment, before turning back to his ensemble of guards. They looked warily between him and the doors, as if expecting him to order them to charge through and arrest her. Ignoring the lot, he stormed down the hall, leaving them to follow in his wake as quickly as possible.

Back inside her room, Rapunzel padded softly over to the bed. "All clear Eugene," she said and began tossing pillows off of the comforter.

The top of Eugene's head popped up from in between two particularly large pillows, and he managed to shake himself free in time to see a giggling Rapunzel sliding in next to him.

"What?" he asked, still cautiously in a whisper.

"Nothing," she replied, burying herself into the remaining pillows and rolling over onto her side to look up at Eugene. He gazed down at her for a moment, utterly caught up in how amazing she looked right then, short brown hair mussed and sticking up, cheeks flush from her minor confrontation with the guard.

Knowing it was for the best, he finally managed to tear himself away from her. He made to stand up, saying, "Well, I suppose I better be going-"

Rapunzel's tiny hand shot out of nowhere and latched onto his wrist, pulling him back onto the mattress. "Please... stay?" It came out as more of a question than she had intended; she'd really meant it as an order. What with her new power as the princess and everything, she could technically _make_ him stay. Yet, she had the feeling her parents wouldn't approve of this use of her station.

Eugene looked once at the doorway, clear it seemed of all guards and then back to Rapunzel's pleading eyes.

"Just for tonight," she added, "Then we'll go back to normal."

Eugene sighed and said, carefully placing himself a good distance from her, "Rapunzel, I don't think we'll ever get to normal."

Rapunzel shrugged and tucked down underneath Eugene's shoulder, sighing contentedly as he wrapped an arm around her back. "That sounds fine to me."

"Me too Blondie, me too."

_Thanks for reading!_


End file.
